LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Fergie's performance of the
national anthem at Friday's NBA All-Star Game didn't exactly go
over well, with her sexy take causing observers to take to
Twitter in confusion and dismay. The singer released a statement
Monday responding to the backlash, admitting that "clearly this
rendition didn't strike the intended tone."

"I've always been honored and proud to perform the national
anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the
NBA," the statement reads. "I'm a risk taker artistically, and
clearly this rendition didn't strike the intended tone."

"I love this country and honestly tried my best," she
finished.

Variety's Chris Williman compared her performance to a
"screechier and scarier" version of Marilyn Monroe's rendition
of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," and mused whether it's
possible she was attempting to pay homage to Marvin Gaye, who
also performed a slinkier-than-normal version of the song at the
1983 All-Star Game.

Others on Twitter were not so subtle. Leslie Jones took a
break from her Olympics tweeting to write, "Why did this happen?
Not everyone supposed to do this y'all! You might as well should
have ask me to sing. Wtf?!"

Roseanne Barr, who infamously attempted to turn the anthem
into a joke at a 1990 baseball game between the San Diego Padres
and Cincinnati Reds, wrote "I think mine was better lowkey."